One Deep Breath
by Toes of the Tickled Kind
Summary: Malfoy...the word that started it all, the word that ended it all. Finally updated! DG
1. Here for the same reason

Disclaimer: Bite me Corporate fanfic! Nothing belongs ot me other than the plot. This is to my D/G shipping friend Tabba and of course the Tarrs. And, Kandi, who is my lovely shovel squire, but has disappeared.

I know, I know, Its taken forever to get a new chapter up and its a new story...well, worry not faithful readers...

_A/N: Note that Draco is not a Death Eater, he's a sort of free agent in the field; he is more for the side of the light. Voldemort is dead, the final battle has happened. The aurors (Ginny included) spend their time rounding up the remaining Death Eaters who have turned to Organized Crime in the abscence of their leader. Draco is twenty-one, Ginny twenty._

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**...Yeah we walk through the doors so accusing their eyes, Like they have any right at all to criticize, Hypocrites you're all here for the very same reason. ...-Anna Nalick**

* * *

Ginny positioned herself on the stool in the center of the bar. The bartender handed her her regular drink. It was orange juice, but they pretended it was a screwdriver. She was sitting in a muggle bar on assignment at the moment and as soon as her suspect left the bar she would go too. It wouldn't do to have her motor skills impaired. She knew that from a first hand experience with a muggle bar and something they called "magic grass". 

In the background a pop tune played while she sipped at the slightly acidic drink. She caught the beginning of the chorus and tilted her head to the side in recognition of the song, Breathe 2 am. It reminded her of the one person she tried to avoid thinking about. Keeping an eye on the target at a table a few feet away she slowly slipped into her past and the agonizing memories she tried so hard to protect herself from.

* * *

_'She shivered in the cold, her boots crunching in the stiff snow. Her breath puffed in a warm stream and she steadily counted her quickening heartbeats. She quickly pulled her gloves from her pockets and pulled them on slowly. It was a sluggish movement and a slight relief from the winter wind. She gave a semi-contented sigh, wiping the stale sweat of her forehead. _

_She heard crunching behind her and quickening her pace set off for the Shrieking Shack. Most people wouldn't follow her there as in her second year the house had suddenly become active with the "supernatural" again. She herself knew what the truth about the Shack was. Professor Lupin had told her the truth about himself before the winter holidays. At the time she had been hateful, assuming that he had told her to make friends. But she'd come to realize that he was trying to help her move past the things that still troubled her. To move past the questions and doubts that formed in her mind. _

_Heading down the hill instead of taking the treacherous path ringed with ice she lost her footing in a patch of hidden ice and skid down the hill on her butt. Stunned she laid there cursing as creatively as Charlie, with quite a bit of vulgarity, until something heavy and very warm fell on her. She reveled in the warmth even as her backside began to soak through with the snow and her breath slowly returned. _

_"Just bloody great!" the mass yelped, and moved off her even as she recognized the voice.  
"Malfoy?" and as she stared up at the silver haired boy she sucked her breath in again, her voice hoarse._

* * *

**(DPOV)  
**Draco sat at the bar, focusing on his shot of whiskey. In the background he could hear the music in the muggle bar behind him. He listened to the words, they seemed vaguely familiar. He knocked back another shot and rested his forehead on the cool counter. He glanced to his left and caught sight of an amber colored liquid that reminded him of the one person he was trying to forget. He pointed at his empty glass and the guy's next to him, "I want that." 

When the drink landed before him he stared moodily into it remembering her.

* * *

_He had been trailing her for some time. He watched as she rubbed her arms for warmth and puff out a breath of warm mist. It was no wonder she was freezing, wearing the robes she was. Probably the best she owned. _

_Her pace increased as she headed towards the Shrieking Shack. He heard a cry of surprise as he watched her head disappear over the disgustingly white snow. Speeding up he topped the hill and slipped. He slid down the hill until he hit a solid lump and landed upon it. He scrambled to get up from what he was assuming was Ginny Weasley as she laid limply below him uttering a vulgar stream of oaths. For a moment he was scared she was concussed until he heard her ask in a confused voice, "Malfoy?" _

_"I didn't even know you could do that with a dragon and an umbrella," he said lightly. He met her gaze solidly and heard her suck in a rough breath. And he basked in the warmth of her cinnamon eyes that were quickly turning amber with her surprise. He later found other things that made her eyes go deep and warm with color. At that moment in time, though, he despised her for making him feel the way he did about her, even as he knew it wasn't her fault he was attracted to the girl._

* * *

He could still hear her voice echoing in his mind. That one word was what started everything. That one word had ended everything. One more drink and he was out of here. It took him a moment to realize it wasn't his memory assaulting him with his surname. He spun around and squinted at the woman standing behind him, a purse strapped across her shoulders and a look of surprise on her ambering eyes. Dawning flashed through his mind even as she turned to go.  
"Sodding Weasley," he said sadly, positive that he was seeing things. He gave a hiccough and reached for his wallet.

* * *

**(GPOV)  
**Ginny watched as her target finished his meeting with the other two members at his table. It seemed to be a reunion of old Death Eaters. She waited seventy-two seconds before rising to follow him. As she stood she raised a hand to her chest. She struggled to breathe as she took a shaky step forward. 

_'Something's wrong,'_ she thought, _'I don't feel right.'_ Sharp pain lanced up her chest and she spotted a figure father down the bar she thought she recognized. She hoped he was who she believed.

She struggled to his side and feeling slightly foolish said, "Malfoy?...Malfoy...Malfoy!"

Her face burning with embarrassment, or maybe it was flushed, and just a little angry at herself she turned to stumble away. She felt more than saw the figure turn as he squinted at her through his drunken stupor. Her breathing stopped completely for a moment as she saw recognition flash through his eyes.  
"Sodding Weasley," he muttered between a hiccough. He leaned back against the bar and looked at her cooly from behind his drunken sight. Breathe, she prodded herself lightly. When she exhaled she said, "Bloody Draco Malfoy."  
Malfoy; the word that had started it all. The word that had ended it all. And with a startled gasp she fell forward.

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Well, there it is, I hope you like it. I'm still trying to decide whether it should be a one-shot or a story. Let me know? 

Hugs and shovels,

Heaven


	2. Just a Day

Summary: Originally a songfic that corporate fanfic got pissed at and deleted because it violated the rights of the artist, blah blah... to which I replied that I was a fanfiction writer and was violating the rights of SEVERAL PEOPLE right this moment...

Disclaimer: I don't own Breathe 2 am, I don't own Ginny Weasley...I do however own Draco Malfoy (I won him off a poker game quite by chance...) so send the people in white because I am not crazy and I can prove it...

A/N: (I know that Draco Malfoy's birthday is the 5th of June, but in my story it is Dec 21st.) This is an AU because lets face it, Ginny and Draco could happen, but it would take atleast two more books for that to happen and I'm not too fond of sticking straight to JK's rules anyway. So anything you read by me is an AU...  
But, If you notice, I originally posted Ashes By Now 2 up two years ago and Ashes was up before that...I totally called the Diary being part of Tom Riddle's soul...I also called Bill and Fleur...okay, author is done gloating.

**"Just a day" he said down to the flask in his fist, Ain't been sober, since maybe October of last year."-Anna Nalick**

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Ginny opened her eyes to the glow of a crackling fireplace. The fire tickled the logs spreading an orange-ish glow to the farthest corners of the room. She rubbed her bleary eyes and gave a sniff. There was a ferocious beat playing steadily on the left side of her head and she was sure she would die of the pain.

"What happened?" she questioned herself. She squeezed her eyes shut tight and tried to muck out the events of the night before. "Better yet, where the hell am I?"

She found a letter sitting on the table addressed to her. She snatched it up and ripped it open. Draco Malfoy's handwriting stared up at her from the parchment and she gave a controlled groan. 'What now?' she thought to herself.

Ginny,

Wait here for me, I'll explain everything. There's a pain reliever in the bathroom. It's the second door to the left down the hallway.

Draco

Ginny gave a sigh, she wasn't looking forward to any explanation Draco thought her owed her. 'Its okay Ginny,' she told herself, 'just wake up and you'll be at home in your little flat above that bakery with the lovely biscottis and the doughnuts that have given you ten pounds of pure arse.'

When Ginny opened her eyes she was still in what was apparently Malfoy Manor. 'Well there goes that idea, Gin," she told herself before rising to find the bathroom and the very appealing potion the medicine cabinet held. She sniffed at a few of the concoctions, reading the labels as she went. One that smelled quite vile was labeled Caesaries Cultus.  
"How the hell does he manage to put that shite in his hair?" Ginny muttered before pouring it down the sink. She viewed a few more as worthless and rid the cabinet of those as well.

She soon grew bored with throwing away his nastier and probably expensive items, and ran herself a bath in his large black tub. She soaked in the tub letting all of her muscles relax and slid, once again into the past.

* * *

"_Bloody hell Malfoy," Ginny squeaked. She climbed to her feet ignoring the proffered hand. She brushed at the snow that hung to her in large patches and rubbed at the tender area of her back. Surprisingly he hadn't said anything to her yet, just stood there glancing at her. She surveyed him with her eyes, masking her curiosity._

"_Oh for Heaven's sake!" she sighed, grabbed his face and turned it side to side. He pulled back quickly. "What are you doing?" he demanded, his hands holding hers._

"_Checking for injuries to that large head of yours."_

"_I do not have a large head!" he denied with a growl, "I have a perfectly proportioned body thank you." Ginny muttered something about inbreeding that she was almost sure he hadn't caught and began to stalk away wet and shivering. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him._

"_You'll freeze in those rags Weasley," he sneered and tossed his cloak over her, leaving her standing at the bottom of the small incline in front of the Shrieking Shack. She shrugged into it hesitantly, wondering if the cloak would do anything wonky. When it didn't she gave a undignified shrug and headed for the school._

* * *

Ginny shivered in the cooling bath water and decided that it was time to get out. She searched every where for the clothes she had discarded on the toilet seat, but they were gone. "I'll just have to borrow something," she muttered.

She easily found his room with the help of a house elf wearing a loincloth made from a tie and dug through his clothes. The house elf had admitted to taking her clothes and assured her that they would indeed be returned within the hour cleaned and pressed. Draco's room reminded her of his head boy room from Hogwarts. It was all dark colors and shadows. The large four poster bed stood in the center of the room, the cover deep green, the curtains almost black. There was a time when she had nearly convinced him to wear more color. More color meaning he had bought grey and black pinstriped trousers. She shook the memories away and began digging in his closet.

She found this grotesque button up shirt with lace and frills up the front. Ginny gave a snort and tossed it in the trash. She did the same for the only white shirt in the closet that read Your Girlfriend Thinks I'm Hott.

"Tacky," Ginny muttered and tossed it. She also tossed the leather trousers hiding in the back of the closet. There was no way Malfoy was wearing those…ever.

She chose an older set of his trousers that were black and nearly worn through the knees. They had large ink stain on the left back pocket, and she sniffed at them delicately before pulling them on. She also chose one of his plain black button-up blouse which she left untucked. And she topped it all off by pairing it with her black dragon leather knee high boots that Charlie had gotten her for her birthday.

Becoming bored with digging through Draco's drawers she retired back to the study where she had awaken and curled up with a book, "Charms, Charms, Charms!" and soon drifted back into sleep.

* * *

Draco strode through the door of his study ready to do battle with one Ginny Weasley. What he saw stopped him in his tracks. She was curled up with a book that weighed more than she did, dressed in his clothes. He pulled a cover from a chest that was hidden in one of the shadows of the room and covered her with it. He sat in a chair across from her and waited for her to wake up. He remembered quite well what happened to people who disturbed the sleeping Weasley. She shifted in her sleep giving him a better view of the jeans she wore. Memories flooded back to him in that quiet room, making him sigh in annoyance._

* * *

Draco cursed himself for his stupidity as he marched back to the Slytherin Common room. He had given her a cloak, which wasn't that big a deal, he had tons of cloaks, but he had just given it to her. Taken one good look and he was peeling his clothes off for the fiery little vixen!_

"_Pathetic!" he muttered to himself . Crabbe and Goyle waved at him from the love seat in the common room. He gave a growl in their general direction and marched up to the Head Boy rooms. He dug through his armoire (something he had brought from home) and pulled out a new cloak. He shrugged into it, pulled it off and then considered putting it back on before deciding against it. She had him so, flustered. And it was so damn unamusing! He paced, restless before deciding to go to the library. He grabbed his potion essay and stormed out of the common room with a snapped "Stay!" and his bodyguards as if they were common dogs. _

_He was digging through the stacks, looking for anything that would give him another fourth of an inch on love potions and why they were illegal. He gave an overly dramatized sigh and received a stern look from Madam Pince for his trouble. He muttered about the 'old bat' for a moment before pulling a huge tome from the shelf and taking it back to his table. _

_He caught a splash of reddish gold against the colors of the books and there she was. Maybe she was following him now. While it was unlikely that she was he almost hoped that was the case. When she rounded the last bookcase that separated them he put on his best come hither 'I-only-bite-a-little' smirk. She came to him as he had hoped. He noticed that she was still wearing his cloak, one of his plain black ones with silk lining and silver threading. He stood, opened his mouth to tell her how stunning she looked in it, to say something nice, friendly even. But he was a Malfoy and nothing ever went his way. He vaguely heard himself say, "If you've come to give the cloak back you're delusional. I wouldn't take it back after your mudblood loving hands touched it."_

_Her eyes narrowed as he sat down rather sharply on the table. Pain sliced up the back of his leg as they both heard the shattering of glass. Cool color leaked out from under him and it took them both a second to realize that most of it was ink, and not blood. Ginny had gone pale and looked at him with big eyes, and he'd never wanted to kiss her more. Never wanted to strangle her more as she began to laugh at him. _

_So it was to his surprise when it was her who led him to the hospital wing to have the glass removed from his thigh._

"_Come on now, Malfoy," she goaded, "Its only a little farther." His face was scrunched up in pain._

"_You try walking with glass shoved nearly in your ass," he ground out._

_She gave an impatient huff, "If you'd like I'll pull it out for you." He had a sudden vision of Ginny Weasley singing the alphabet and yanking chunks of glass out. It was painful to think about it. "No thank you Weasley," Draco muttered darkly, positive the girl was trying to kill him. She gave a sigh._

"_This would be easier if you weren't being such a hot head and would just let me help you!" She drifted around to his left side and said, "Now come here Malfoy." She wrapped her arm around his waist and pulled him close, helping take some of the strain off of his left leg. "Better?" she questioned._

"_Yes," he said, though he could no longer feel anything but the way she was pressed against him. "Hey Weasley," he said._

"_What Malfoy?"_

"_Don't touch me."_

"_Oh do shut up," she told him, though he could see that she was calculating in her mind how mean it would be if she tripped him and left him lying in the hallway. She must have decided against it because they made it to the hospital wing with minimal problems after that. After he was released later that day he went straight to his room and hid the jeans in the farthest corner of his trunk, though at the time he couldn't have said why._

* * *

"Malfoy…" and he came back to himself like that. He stared down at her, the youngest Weasley. His Ginny, and once again the only thing he could think about was how much he wanted to kiss her. He was nearly out of his seat before he realized it, but he settled himself in and looked at her.

"Nice pants," he said without any emotion to his voice.

"Why did you keep them?" she snapped, suddenly angry at the whole situation, "And what happened last night?"

"You were drugged by one of the bartenders while Alex was helping another customer. Pretty damn lucky I was there Weasley…what were you doing going on assignment alone in the first place?"

He was ready to shake her now, had his hands wrapped around her arms.

"I always work alone Malfoy, even you know that. Oh, and Malfoy? Don't touch me."

He laughed on the inside, restrained himself from truly shaking her this time.

"That was foolish, haven't you noticed that the remaining Death Eaters have been extremely active?" Draco demanded harshly, "Go back to your headquarters and tell them that the Death Eaters are planning on selecting a new Dark Lord. And after you do that stay out of the field. From now on they'll be keeping an eye out for you."

She opened her mouth to say something else but he waved her away. She apaparated without a pop, gone in a few seconds; just like the last time. He heaved a great sigh and strode into his bedroom.  
He flopped down on to his bed and took in a great sniff of her, honey and strawberry with a dash of cinnamon. He frowned, realizing what he had failed to realize earlier, she had been in his room. Gone through his belongings, apparently rolled in his bed. He dug desperately through his underwear drawer searching for it…but it was gone. She had taken it.

"_Why did you keep them?"_ she had asked. He had thought she meant the pants, and maybe on some level she had. But there was something else he had kept, and she had it now. He was about to storm after her when he realized something else.

"Parsnip!" he shouted and the old house elf appeared, "The girl, what did she do with my wardrobe?"

The house elf gave a bow, "She said that they were unworthy and to take them out back and burn them."

"And you did it?" Draco yelled, scandalized. The elf dipped another bow, "Sir said to do anything the girl Weasley asked."

Draco sighed deciding that he would leave better instructions with his servants from now on. Secretly he mourned the loss of his leather trousers, which he'd only worn once.


	3. Hourglass

Disclaimer: Not mine ppl...we all know it. Breathe 2Am is Anna Nalick.

A/N: Not really much of Ginny, lol, but hey, we will get there, to what happened between them, and I know the chappie is short, but its been really hectic here...Their story is gradually growing and I think I actually like this one.  
Regular type is present, italic is past...cheers!

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**And life's like an hourglass glued to the table,  
No one can find the rewind button boys so cradle your head in your hands**

* * *

Draco was contemplating revenge. Throwing away her wardrobe didn't seem big enough, arson was a little extreme. Besides that, he had no idea where she was living at the moment. He gave a grimace once again as he riffled through his remaining clothes. All he had left from his once vast collection of clothes were three pairs of black pants, a black silk blouse, a white silk blouse, and a green thong. Draco sifted the thong away once more in the hopes of forgetting how he had originally gotten the underwear.

"Cruel and unusual Gin," he muttered under his breath.

* * *

"_Really?" the snarky red head in front of him asked, "Do you want to make a wager then?" Draco looked her over, a feral grin spreading over his pain clinched features._

"_I'd hate to take your money," he said coolly, "You have so little of it to begin with." Madame Pomfrey clanged two vials together loudly while looking for the correct potion to give to him. Ginny grinned her own version back._

"_I was thinking of something else," she said, voice low and husky. _

_Draco started, "You are so not getting that from me!" he denied aloud, making Pomfrey turn her eyes to him. Ginny swatted at him. _

"_That isn't what I meant; How about if Gryffindor wins you have to do something humiliating."_

"_And what would you be doing, little weasel, when Slytherin wins?" Draco asked, quirking an eyebrow._

"_Anything you want," Ginny answered evilly, and Draco looked at her with narrowed eyes. That bint is awfully confident, he told himself. They made the wager, he would do what she wanted if she won, and vice versa. Now there was only one problem. He had to beat Potter at quidditch._

_Later that week, and after the game she approached him in the hallway. Her grin was evil, and he shuddered when he looked at her. Oh lord, he thought to himself._

_She almost didn't stop. Nearly walked right past him, thrusting a scrap of cloth in his face. He looked at it for a long moment, curious as to what it was, and when he finally figured it out he let out a loud breath. "No way in hell!"_

"_See you at dinner, Malfoy," she called out as she continued on her merry way._

_And at dinner he had shown, in nothing more than the green thong and his cloak. She smiled and nodded at the cloak. His pressed his palm into his face, steadily trying to keep the color from rising to his cheeks. The cloak fell and he stood there in the immediate silence with a determined glance straight at the wall, back straight. _

_Blaise cat called him loudly and Draco turned a furious glare toward his friend, who gave a shrug. _

"_Honestly Draco, it's a nice ass."_

"_Its nothing I haven't already seen," Pansy muttered angrily, two red splotches high on her cheeks._

"_And that's nothing we all haven't already figured out," Blaise answered back sharply. Pansy grew quiet, staring down at her plate as color rose high and scarlet in Draco's cheeks. _

_And he fled the Great Hall, his white ass shining in the candle light._

_He was running down the halls, tearing down them in a fashion that wasn't really leading him any where but farther away from his clothes. He slowed enough to realize this before losing all of his steam and standing in the middle of the corridor. He heard quick footsteps and searched for somewhere to hide. It was too late because the littlest Weasley had found him and she rushed him like the batter rushing the plate. She pressed her hand to his chest and shoved him backwards into a hidden nook. She shook her head disbelievingly._

"_You are the biggest idiot I know," she said hotly. Draco stared at her, her hand still resting on that place on his chest, right above the nipple._

"_I'm the idiot? You're the one who started the whole bet mess," Draco yelled._

"_I wouldn't have truly held you to it, Malfoy," she said, bursting out laughing, "And that __is why you are a fool." And she left him standing there with her cloak and a niggling thought that tomorrow he was really going to regret that first meeting with her. Ankles still showing he made his way back to the Slytherin Common Room._

* * *

Draco ignored the feeling that he was being watched. There was no point in worrying over it now, he thought as he left the third dress robe shop of the day. When he was grabbed from behind and shoved face first into a wall he knew he should have given it more thought. Damn it! He was usually more on guard than this. It was her, the worst drug he'd ever become addicted to, the only one he'd never be able to quit.

"There's that sweet ass," a muffled voice murmured, groping Draco's lush bottom. Draco gave an undignified squeal and jumped away.

"Get off me Zabini!" he bellowed, turning and thumping his friend in the stomach with his elbow. Blaise bent over double.

"And after I went through all that trouble to get the information you wanted," Blaise said with a silly little pout.

"Can the queen act," Draco muttered, "You and I both know you like women."

Blaise grinned, "I've got one waiting for me at home, so here is your shit, owl me later." And thrusting a piece of parchment at Draco, Blaise disappeared with a small pop.

Ginny Weasley, 2212 Pixie Lane, Diagon Alley.

Perfect.


	4. Naked in front of a Crowd

Disclaimer: yeah yeah, not mine, yada yada...

A/N: I was happily enthused that I got two reviews right after I loaded the last chapter that it made me all smiley and wanting to write more for you guys. This chapter has more of the two of them, the beginnings of their relationship. LOL, still no explaination for the leather trousers, though they will come soon-ish. Its short as well..

The More you review the faster I write!

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**And I feel like I'm naked in front of a crowd and these words are my diary screaming aloud, and I know that you'll use them however you want to...**

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Ginny flipped her hair out of her eyes once again as she unlocked her door. There was something off, she thought to herself. Years as Fred and George's little sister had honed her senses. She squinted through her apartment, amazed at the childish view that was presented. Her room was currently hanging from the ceiling. Or more accurately, the ceiling was now the floor. She rolled her eyes, fully prepared to shove her head in the fire to verbally abuse whatever brother had done it. The shadows stirred and she tossed the bag of groceries to the ground reaching for her wand. 

It was knocked uselessly from her hands as her back hit the wall. A hard mouth was crusing her, pressing her firmly into the mould of the door jamb. She gave a small whimper of pain, the hinge digging painfully into her shoulder blade. He shifted her, pulled away gasping.

"I was going to yell, berate you…but I can't think when I'm around you. Can't breathe," he muttered harshly, "I hate you." He claimed her mouth again his teeth grazing her lip, drawing blood, a small nip and a little dropped. She shuddered.

"I hate you," she breathed back, and she had never meant it more, "You stupid prick, I hate you." For everything he had ever done.

They were falling, surely they both felt it. Their knees hit the solid oak floor, the smell of doughnuts seeping through the wood. She pulled her fist back, punched him. God she hated him, and it was his fault. He knocked her to the floor roughly, pinned her with one knee between her legs. He was trying to devour her, trying to hurt her at the same time. She struck back, bucked him away and landed on top. She tore at his lip, drawing more blood than he had. But there were different ways to bleed. He's once shown her that. His hand was creeping up her shirt, pulling and touching and she was arching into him. Trying to get closer and trying to get away. They rolled on her empty floor smacking each other around. Great loud thumps could be heard from below along with the war cries they were both calling out.

His mouth latched on to one of Ginny's breasts, she arched; god he felt so good. He always had and she hated him. She pulled at his head, almost as if she were going to kiss him. She head butted him with enough force to knock his jaw together painfully. The game stopped just like that. They sat in half naked piles on the ground looking angrily at each other. Finally he spoke.

"You threw all my clothes away."

"So what, you retaliate by flipping my apartment upside down? Way to act third year Malfoy."

"Knew I should have chosen arson," he muttered under his breath. He sighed, eyed Ginny. His eyes fell to her naked chest and she coughed loudly. "Up here, Malfoy."

And when he finally left after arguing with her for an hour he was scratched and bleeding. Damn hellion, he thought to himself. He should have known better than to approach her that way. They had never been able to stay in a room together long enough to do anything but fight or fuck. By the time he got home he had realized that he had forgotten to get the thing she had taken back.

_

* * *

The new year rang in and the old one passed. Ginny and Draco had avoided each other since that night. She would have apologized, had he let her. But she wasn't admitting that. The school had long since stopped talking about Draco's choice in dinner wear after he had hexed Blaise Zabini for coping a feel on their way out of potions one period. But fate did not mean for the two to be separated for much longer, as Ginny soon found herself sitting in detention alone with the sulking Slytherin. _

"_Sorry," she muttered, it was sincere, though it felt half hearted at the most. She avoided his eyes. He opened his mouth to tell her that it was okay. That it didn't matter. But his breeding took over and before he knew what was happening her was spitting venomously at her, "You're not nearly sorry enough." _

_She looked at him incredulously. She had apologized and he was issuing what, threats? She glared at him from behind her brown eyes and he felt his heart give a skip. Snape had left them alone with the threat of cleaning the storerooms if he caught them talking. It was one of the easiest detentions Ginny had had, though it was no doubt due to the fact that Draco was there with her. _

"_Really Malfoy?" she drawled, "What are you going to do to me? You going to tell on me. Steal my favorite teddy? Throw me over your knee and spank me? What are you going to do for revenge? Kill me?" She was muttering lowly, picking up speed and he glared at her. She was mocking him and he had never wanted her more. Never wanted to throw his hands over someone's neck and squeeze more in his life than he wanted to do to her just now. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block her out. Trying to block her words out, but it wasn't working. "Are you going to cry Malfoy?" she asked, insanely close to his ear, "I bet you cry when you're alone…" _

_She gave a small strangled gasp when he reached out and grabbed her by her throat, pulling her roughly to him. He invaded her space, one arm around her back as he claimed her lips. His other hand was still clenching her neck, making small circular motions with his thumb. She made a noise in the back of her throat, one he read as disgust. He tossed her away as quick as he could, jumping gracefully to his feet as she stumbled away from him. _

"_You regret it now don't you?" He demanded, "I know I sure as hell do!" and he stomped off leaving her crumpled on the potions floor. One hand comforted the marks on her neck, the other touched her lips. Her breathing came ragged and shallow. Her chest moved slowly in and out. Unbidden the thought, "No" came to mind. _


	5. Just Breathe

**Disclaimer:** I shall quote chalkandgatorade of old. Too busy fawning over cheese…

**Summary:** Ginny remembers the beginning of the end of her innocence.

**A/N:** **Slight sexual situation**. Nothing too detailed really. Actually kinda crappy. And I still owe little munchkin poo her damn straight sex…

**

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Sing it if you understand...yeah breathe, Just breathe, oh oh breathe

* * *

**

Ginny sat around a large table with the rest of the Order. Interspersed within their ranks were officials of the ministry. The new Minister of magic, Julius Lancer, who had been sworn in as Minister after the final battle sat to the right of Harry.

"Surely you don't trust the Malfoy boy," he said with a grimace. He had that look on his face that most get when the members of one of the most destructive families from the war was brought into the conversation.

Harry passed the man a stern look. "Draco Malfoy was instrumental to the side of the light during the Last Battle," he said through clenched teeth. Dumbledore spoke up then.

"Young Master Malfoy has indeed proven his worth to the side of the light again and again. No one is quite sure why he decided to help in the final battle but he saved many lives that night."

"He also killed many."

"We all did things that we aren't proud of," Harry said it quietly but his voice carried. It was suddenly silent in the dimly lit area. Above them the stars glowed brightly.

"from now on," Harry continued, "Ginny, you are to lay low. I do not want to see you with in one hundred feet of a Death Eater's meeting, got it?"

"What! No, Harry, it's my job. We all knew that there were risks when we joined the Order. I knew I was putting myself at risk when I openly became an auror! Just because Draco Malfoy says that…"

"We will put it to a vote then," Harry murmured, "After all, majority rules in the Order."

_Most days_, Ginny wanted to shout as they all voted her off duty. Ginny spluttered, "I'm still an auror, I have work to do." Harry elbowed the minister, who cleared his throat.

"Mandatory vacation," the minister chirped. Ginny glared at Harry until he squirmed in his seat. Sighing angrily she stormed away.

"Oh, and next time let's meet somewhere that's not Stonehenge!" she called over her shoulder as she stepped out of the ring of lights and walked directly into one of the stone pillars. Cursing to herself she apaparated to the doughnut shop below her apartment.

She bought a few glazed doughnuts and a coffee before storming upstairs to her apartment.

"Stupid bloody Draco Malfoy," she growled, "Stupid Harry effing Potter! Stupid majority vote!"

She was beating her head against the counter, her coffee steaming lovely smells next to her.

"Indeed," someone said from her doorway. She looked up quickly, blinking to clear her bleary eyes.

"Blaise?" her mouth fell open, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see how you and Draco fared together…oh don't give me that look, he asked for it," Blaise said with a grin, "and you never specifically said that I couldn't tell him where you lived."

Ginny grinned ruefully at Blaise. She had kept in touch with him after he had graduated Hogwarts. Hell, he was the one who had found her apartment for her. He ruffled her hair in a friendly manner and picked up her coffee, taking a sip from it daintily.

"Mmm, chicory," he said, smacking his lips, "My favorite." He took another sip from it.

"Get your own!" Ginny muttered darkly, reaching for hers. He held it high above his head just out of her reach.

"Blaise!" she moaned and he laughed.

"I love it when you say my name like that. So what happened with Malfoy?"

"Fat lot of nothing," Ginny said darkly, "And that's the way it's going to stay."

Blaise eyed her, "You know, you should really give him a chance. The things that happened before; well, it may not have been what you thought." Ginny waved him off.

"I'm getting in the bath," she said, "So you have to leave." He did leave, taking her hot, yummy chicory coffee with him.

* * *

She climbed into the filled tub, the bubbles violet and scented of lavender. She tipped her head back to wet her hair and worked shampoo into it. Why was Draco Malfoy haunting her now, after all these years. She fingered the chain of the necklace around her neck and frowned. After all this time and it took a meeting in a bar to make him speak to her. One small tear trickled down her cheek._

* * *

The water was filling quickly into the large tub in the prefect's bathroom. Ginny sloshed around the edge of the tub, feeling the water with her finger tips. It felt wonderful. The water shut off as the tub filled completely and Ginny stripped and climbed in happily. The bubbles covered her clear to her neck and she gave a content sigh as she sank her head under water._

_The thumping of footsteps had her surfacing quickly. There at the edge of the pool stood Draco Malfoy. His nose was slightly red, his cheeks puffed out, his eyes glazed over. She hadn't seen him since the night in the dungeon when he had bailed on detention. She looked him over, feeling exposed, though she knew that the bubbles covered her entirely. He looked down at her and there was a loud clang in the silent room. A half empty bottle of fire whiskey rolled precariously close to the edge of the bath. They both watched stunned as the bottle toppled into the water, floating at the top._

"_Malfoy?" Ginny whispered, he mind on the kiss, her eyes on him. He gave a sullen sneer._

"_Taking a bath, eh Weasley?" he asked harshly, "Must be nice. Bet that hovel of a home of yours doesn't have indoor plumbing." He gave a small burp._

"_How did you get in here?" she asked quietly._

"_I am Head Boy; it's not just you lot of prefects and the mudblood that gets to run around in here."_

"_I mean how did you get in here while I was…" she gestured around, her ears glowing red in anger. He let out a stark laugh._

"_Really you should be asking how you got in here," he muttered dangerously, eyeing what he could see of her, "I've been back in the showers for hours now." He was hiding in the showers, more than likely drinking. Ginny looked up at him with those big chocolate eyes and he sighed in irritation._

"_Don't look at me like that!" he yelled, "Like I need your sympathy! I don't need anything from you!"_

_He leaned forward to pluck his bottle of fire whiskey out of the water. He slipped and fell into the water, crashing into Ginny, sending her sprawling through the water. He spluttered, sinking and she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and hoisted him up. He was spitting water and bubble bath with a completely miserable look on his face. Drenching wet and leaning on her weakly he wrapped his arms around her. _

"_I hate you," he said quietly. His hands trailed down her back, cupped her bottom, pulled her closer to him. He crushed her in his grip, kissing her with as much strength as he could put into such a simple task. He was bruising her lips, hurting her and she found that she didn't mind. It was like being in the dungeons again. She felt no regret for it, she felt nothing but the urge to comfort him while he was like this. A tear ran down her cheek as he crushed into her harder, pressing her against the wall of the tub. He pulled away, almost in shame. His face flaming he touched the tear as it rolled down her face. _

_He sighed, "Am I that vile to you?" He whispered it, she almost didn't hear what he said. _

"_Look Malfoy," she said, holding a hand to her split and bleeding lips, "Are you alright?"_

"_Am I alright? No I'm not alright! I may be horrible and nasty and mean but I've never tried to force myself on someone before!" He was yelling now, disgusted with what he thought she had taken the kiss as. He started to climb out next to her, wet clothes heavy._

"_Wait," she said quietly, reaching out to touch his arm. He turned to look at her, the glaze in his eyes drifting away in light of what had happened. Her lips were cracked and bleeding from the pressure of his mouth, and she licked at them quickly. He narrowed his eyes at her._

"_What?" he asked, fearful of what she would say to him next. She turned him to face her, stepped into his arms and kissed him softly. His fingers dug into her sharply and she winced. He let go, taking it as rejection. "Stop playing with me Weasley," he growled low in his throat. She winced again. _

"_It's not a game," she forced herself not to pull away from him more than she already had, forced herself to lean into him again. "Can you not even do this gently?" she asked. _

_He cocked his head to the side. He was only seventeen but he'd had his share of lovers. He'd soon found that they didn't want gentle from him. They came to him because of who he was; what his reputation was. Even if he wanted to do anything gently he wouldn't know how. He looked down._

"_I don't know how," he muttered darkly, starting to pull away again._

"_Then I'll show you," she whispered quietly, feeling so sorry for the boy in that moment. She cupped his face in her hands, pulled him down to meet her as she stood as tall as she could. She pressed her lips to his gently, stroking the back of his neck with her thumb. She licked his lips, slid her tongue in to gently caress his and brushed against him with her body._

_He hadn't moved from that stilled position she had caught him in. He just stood there as she kissed him, stood there still and placid. Then she nuzzled into his neck and placed a soft kiss at the hollow of his beautiful throat. His breathing hitched and she used the distraction to run her hand up the back of his shirt. _

_He pulled her to him, but it was gentler than the last time. He kissed her in the same soft way that she had kissed him, nuzzling along her throat and cheek. He placed a kiss to the hollow of her throat before placing one at the top of each breast. She shivered and he looked up at her from the top of one lush mound. She put a hand on his shoulder, her eyes closed as he steered her against the edge of the tub once again.  
Then he did something she hadn't expected. He put a knee between her legs and nudged her thighs apart. He thrust his hips against hers brushing along things that had never been touched before. She gave a gasp as he trailed a hand up her thigh and thrust two fingers into her. She arched into him as his fingers fondled along lines that no one had before touched. It was ironic that she was sharing this with him, her worst enemy and the boy that she pitied. He was exploring her quickly, darting in and out, in little circle motions that were making her go weak. She clutched at both of his shoulders now holding herself up as well as she could. He readjusted her more securely against the wall of the tub before pushing back into her. She let out a cry and he caught her mouth with his, nipped at her lip. He could feel her breathing growing more rapid against his lips. He pulled away, he wanted to finish it properly. He pulled his shirt off quickly while she watched him. He pulled at the clasp of his jeans had them half way to his ankles and was pressed back into her before she could move. He kissed her again, more urgent than the last time, hotter and a little harder. He positioned himself, rubbed against her, heard her give an excited sigh and…_

"_Hello!" Moaning Myrtle's big eyes stared at him from behind Ginny's head. They both turned to looked at her in shock. Ginny tried to cover herself up in the water with the remaining bubbles but Myrtle gave an amused laugh. "Oh don't bother, I've been watching the whole time. Sometimes I just like to come here and watch." And she heaved a sad little sigh. "I died you know," she told the two, "Died before I could ever do anything like that."_

* * *

The water had grown cold around Ginny. She had finished washing off ages ago and had settled dejectedly into another of her memories. It was the time, so close to when it had all started. That had to be it. Seeing him so close to the anniversary of their day. Her fingers touched the necklace again.

* * *

A/N: I want to thank everyone for the reviews. **babi-gurl-chels**- I hope I answered your questions. I went back and put in my authors note about Draco ch1. **Yunalesca X**-I don't think you sound like an aunt, lol, thanks for the support. **Bel Dumbledore**-I hope last chapter was to your liking, there was more of her and more of their past. **Nyah1**- thank you, I think that is the first time anyone actually complimented my writing style! **evil.leprechaun.7**- thank you for the review, hopefully there will be more of them in the same style…**JessicaMalfoy87**- I shall soon have to switch songs, I think, as I've gone through most of Breathe 2am. Lol, I already have a new one picked out… 


	6. I Believe Your Lies

Disclaimer: Story is mine, the characters are not.  
A/N: I know it has been forever since last I updated and I'm sorry. But I have been putting it off cause **this chappie contains the sex** that I owed Tarra and well, as a virgin, I know nothing of sex so it's shit. Passable shit, but shit none the less. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the rest of the chapter.  
Cheers,  
Heaven  
PS. Leave me comments and I will update faster. I takes fifteen seconds, and I allow anony posts!!!

* * *

**_He said can you hear me, are you sleeping?_**

**_She said will you rape me now_**

**_He said leave the politics to madmen_**

**_She said I believe your lies_**

**_He said there's a paradise beneath me_**

**_She said am I supposed to bleed?_**

**_He said better pray to Jesus_**

**_She said I don't believe in God….-Buddha for Mary by 30 Seconds to Mars_**

_

* * *

They were sitting together in silence. He was stroking her hair as they watched the green leaves blow steadily in the light breeze. His hand was wrapped in her copper curls while her head rested on his shoulder. It was March and beautiful and they were happy to sit there together. The sun had completely disappeared from the sky a half hour before and everyone was at dinner._

_Draco pulled Ginny as close to him as he could. He tipped his head into the crook of her neck and breathed in deeply, placed a chaste kiss at the hollow of her neck. She allowed him to nuzzle her for a second before she brought his mouth to hers with the palm of her hand. He licked her lips until she let him in and their tongues tangled together. He sighed and clutched her to his chest._

_In the months since the incident in the prefect's bathroom they had secretly been meeting. Ginny had slowly been chipping away at the cruel exterior that he always carried with him. It was rarely present when he was with her but she could still see it when he was around others._

_He had once told her that she brought out what was good in him, but she didn't quite believe that. Ginny was more want to believe that he thought that there was only so much good he had in him. She of course knew that it wasn't true and had slowly watched the hatred in his eyes dwindle down. And she loved it, she loved him. And she wanted him to love her, hoped he did. _

_It was a thrill in her belly as he led her to his room. He pulled her down next to him on the bed and they curled around each other. He kissed her, stroking her stomach, running his hands through her hair. He watched as she boldly pulled her shirt off. He gave a sigh and ran his hands down the middle of her chest, all the way down to her navel._

_They were peeling clothes off, losing them to the floor. Stroking and teasing as they went. He pulled her to him and latched his mouth around one of her nipples. He licked and kissed, nipped, making her moan. He moved lower, spreading kisses all the way down her body before he settled between her thighs. She felt the warmth spreading through her belly. She moaned loudly, gasping his name, arching against his mouth, eyes closed. She was flailing against his blankets and he stopped to give her a wicked grin. The cool air brushed against her bare skin and she looked at him with wide eyes. She pulled herself to a sitting position and pressed him back against the mattress. She ran her hand through his hair down his chest to his thigh. He gave a quick gasp. She captured his mouth as she straddled him, running kisses down his chest. She mirrored his movements from moments ago. He groaned before flipping her over to look down on her. _

"_Its okay, Draco," Ginny murmured against his lips. Draco nodded and spread her thighs. He settled himself above her before quickly entering her. She grabbed onto his back in surprise, the pain more uncomfortable than anything. _

"_It's okay," she said to him as he looked down on her questioningly. _

_He moved inside her slowly at first before setting a pace that he could tell she was comfortable with. Their breathing was becoming more hurried and rugged with each thrust. He was pressing into her as far as he dared to go, trying not to hurt her anymore than he already had. He could feel her heart beating in her chest and knew he was closing to losing it. When he felt her body tighten around him in release; he let go and went with her._

_He gave a sharp gasp of pain and she looked up at him in alarm. _

"_Draco, are you hurt?" she asked quietly, "What is it?" He looked down at his left arm and she watched in horror as the Dark Mark slowly leaked onto his arm._

"_The war…it's started."_

* * *

Draco was back at the bar, drinking. He held the amber liquid in hand and sloshed it around. He was depressed, nostalgic and a little nauseas. And as always it was her fault. Had been since the day she had ran out on him two years before with out letting him explain. Not that what she had seen deserved much in the way of explanations. It looked to be pretty self explanatory, he thought with a grimace, maybe she was right to hate him. He swirled his drink one more time before downing it and ordering another. While he waited for his drink his ears pricked up at a rather drunken and loud conversation being held a few tables away from the bar.

"…Weasley following—Shaft went after her…torture…"

Draco slapped some coins on the bar top and stumbled out of the bar. He apaparated with the hope that he wouldn't splinch himself seven ways to Sunday.

----

Ginny was sleeping when she felt a shift in the wards that surrounded her apartment. She blinked blearily, ready for another fight with Draco. It had to be Draco, who else would come looking for her? Unbidden, thoughts of what Harry and Draco had said about the Death Eaters entered her mind. Crouching low to the floor she pulled a dagger and her wand out from under her bed. Moving silently she moved to the window in her room and climbed out onto the small balcony that housed a few plants. Careful not to touch the thorny branches of one she backed herself up against the wall of the building and peered around the sill into her bedroom.

Two men burst into her room. The bed was mussed and the blankets rolled together, giving off the appearance of her still being in them. The first green flash was bright enough to put spots in front of her eyes and blow a smoldering hole into the center of her bed. She stifled the curses that nearly floated out of her mouth and sank back against the wall as one man moved for her closet and the other toward the window.

She gripped the dagger in her left hand and held her wand ready with her right. She crouched again so that she was only three ft high, below the sight of most men wearing a mask. The Death Eater stalked out onto the small balcony and stopped short. Turning to go back into the small room he caught sight of Ginny and pulled her up by the collar of her night clothes. The satin dress gave a rip exposing the top swell of her breasts. Ginny kicked out her foot and disturbed the thorny plant. One of its vines shot through the middle of the man. She shoved her hand over his mouth to stifle the choke that followed.

She slipped unseen back into the room and slid down the hallway silently. There were two more waiting in her living room. Ducking under the wand of the first one she sank the dagger into the second one's chest. She sent a spinning heel kick into the second one. Unfortunately she forgot about the Death Eater in her room and was knocked down by a wave of pain from behind.

She felt the wards shift again. There was a flash of red and then Draco was bending over her. The one she kicked climbed to his feet and from her position flat on her back she grabbed her wand and stunned him as well.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she muttered darkly.

"Saving you, you ungrateful wench," he bit back. She coughed, unsure if she could move yet or not. Putting a hand to her ribs she sat up wincing.

"What the fuck did he hit me with!" she muttered darkly, "Fucking hurt!" Sticky wet blood flowed down her back. Draco helped her stand.

"Slashing hex, c'mon Weasley, let's get you out of here," he wrapped an arm around her back. Ginny paled and passed out.

* * *

"_What?" Ginny gasped. Draco pulled himself off her and began dressing. He picked her clothes up and tossed them at her._

"_It's begun. Get dressed Weasley. Get dressed and go back to your brother," he was sneering at her. She pulled her clothes on._

"_Please, don't be like this Draco. Come with me. Fight with me," she put a hand on his arm. He batted it away._

"_The only fighting we're going to be doing is against each other from now on, Weasley." _

_Tears fell as she watched him march out of his room. She could feel her heart shatter in her chest. Surely the pain was caused by one of the shards. Sobbing she ran back to her brother, and to a war that would last for two years. _

_Most of the students in Slytherin house left. Blaise Zabini and a few other members were the only ones who stayed behind._

The dream shifted to a battle field.

_She was bleeding, she could feel it. _

"_Ron!" she shouted, "Your left!" She tried to run to intercept the curse. Hermione was there first. Her and Ron stumbled on as the fighting around them grew more intense. Ginny was shouting curses left and right, praying to any and all gods that she would get out of this mess alive. _

"_Put the blood to good use," she remembered Slughorn telling them about the powers blood could wield. She bent over and scrawled a few runes into the earth in her blood. The first Death Eater that wandered over the runes would get a bad surprise._

"_Ginny look out!" It was Harry screaming at her from her right. She turned quickly and caught the edge of a hex as someone's body took her down with his. _

_Pain burned through her like fire. She was choking on blood. She opened her mouth to scream but all that escaped was a stream of hot blood. She twisted her head to the side spitting out as much as she could._

_A face was floating above hers and she blinked to focus her sight. A Death Eater's mask loomed over her, but the eyes were so familiar._

"_Are you okay?"_

_Ginny didn't answer, more blood was gurgling to the surface of her throat. She rolled over to her knees vomiting the copper flavored liquid. Clutching her side she couldn't find a wound._

"_Its all internal," she thought, her vision fuzzing as she climbed to her feet. _

"_I won't just lay here and die," she thought, "I'm not that Ginny anymore." She grabbed for her wand in the dirt and stunned the first Death Eater that crossed her. She was running on adrenaline and anger. She ducked under the wand arm of another one and tackled him to the ground. She grabbed a dagger from the ground and sank it into the guy's chest. She was up and running before she knew that he was dead, a glazed look in her eyes._

_When she came back to herself the Death Eaters were retreating. She still held the knife in her hands, dripping with blood. She herself was soaked in it up to her elbows. The knife fell with a clatter as her brother and his two friends ran to check up on her. One lone Death Eater remained and he reached out to touch her. She flinched back, went stiff before falling. She reached out to catch herself, looking for something, anything that would stop her from hitting the ground._

_His mask snapped off under her fingers and the last thing she saw before she fell through a well of darkness was Draco Malfoy leaning over her._

When she awoke he was there, staring into a fire with a glass of whiskey.

"We do this a lot," she muttered through the cotton in her throat. He stirred and looked at her.

"What, the thing where I save you? Yeah, we do that a lot," he remarked sarcastically.

"Actually I meant the 'you standing over me being a smarmy git' thing," she answered back, pulling herself into a sitting position.

"What happened?" she asked, rubbing her forehead.

"You mean before or after you bled all over that oriental rug in your living room?"

She shot him a glare and he downed the last of the drink in his glass. "I brought you back here, undressed you and had my wicked way with you while you were sleeping. Blaise helped."

"Blaise!" Ginny shouted and sure enough he came running into the room.

"You owe me a coffee fucktard," she said angrily.

"I love it when you're upset," Blaise purred, "It makes the sex a lot more interesting. Get out Draco, I need quality time with my wench."

Draco wondered if the two had ever actually been together in the time that they had been friends. "None of my business," he reminded himself and pulling himself to his feet he left the room. He could hear them quietly talking as he left. As he shut the door he caught a glimpse of Blaise with his forehead resting on Ginny's. He slammed the door shut after him.

"I think we sufficiently pushed_ that_ button," Blaise murmured placing a chaste kiss to Ginny's head, "How do you feel?"

"Like Dumbo did the elephant's parade all over me," Ginny said with a sigh.

"Blaise laughed, "I make you watch muggle cartoons all the time and that is the only connection you could make? What about if ACME dropped an anvil over your head?"

"I think I would be dead."

"Well praise Lords for your Road Runner ability to avoid an untimely end. Draco said that you took out three of them yourself."

"There were only four Blaise. The last one snuck up on me…"

"Of course he did. How many times do I have to tell you that purebloods are sodding cowards. Take Draco for example, this one time in first year he came running into the common room screaming about dead unicorns. What's worse is that he brought the Ground's Keepers—yes, Hagrid, I know—he brought that great sodding beast of his with him. Slobbered everywhere…not that that's the point…"

"I should hope not," Draco replied coolly from the doorway, "Your mother has her face in the fire, Blaise. And she looks pissed."

"So," Draco said, "You going to give that locket back?"

"I seem to remember giving it back once before," Ginny muttered darkly, "Looking for a repeat performance?"


	7. The Sharpest Lives

**Disclaimer:** As always, I don't own anything.

**A/n:** So, I just wrote this chapter for madrose because I don't want her to combust. Then who will leave me comments?  
To everyone else, Thanks for the comments and I hope you enjoy the next part. Its mainly the past.

* * *

…This alone, you're in time for the show  
You're the one that I need  
I'm the one that you loathe  
You can watch me corrode like a beast in repose  
'Cause I love all the poison…

…Give me a shot to remember  
And you can take all the pain away from me  
A kiss and I will surrender  
The sharpest lives are the deadliest to lead…-The Sharpest Lives: My Chemical Romance

_

* * *

Ginny groaned low in her throat as the veil of sleep lifted. Pain, sharp and immediate lanced through her. Her eyes flew open. The world seemed thin and hazy and she pressed fingers to her eyes. She sucked in a breath and winced in pain._

"_Ginny?" Harry's face floated above her, worry in his sharp green eyes._

"_What happened?" he voice was slight and shaky. Harry reached for her hand, clutched it to him._

"_We won the battle. There was this trap someone set…it was incredible Ginny. And horrible; the screams echoed forever. What ever it was it was affecting the Dark Mark, displacing Death Eaters left and right. You were hit with a curse at the same time Draco Malfoy attacked you."_

_Voice thick Ginny asked, "Did he escape?" Harry shook his head, hate searing through his eyes. Once upon a time Ginny had thought Harry incapable of hate._

"_No, you had a hold of him. We rushed him and he was captured. He's being held in the Prisoner's Ward of the hospital."_

"_He's here?" Ginny began climbing from bed, "I want to talk to him."_

_The floor was cold as she pulled herself to her feet stiffly. Harry's hands were there, comforting and sweet and she hated it._

"_He isn't talking to anyone," Harry said roughly, "They'll send in Moody soon to get information, then he'll go to trial."_

"_Take me, Harry. Please." Harry studied her. Her hands were on her hips, the look on her face saying clearly that she wouldn't take no for an answer. Her face was pale and she looked so young, so small._

'_Just a child," Harry thought, 'We're all just children.'_

_He gazed into the brown eyes of the girl he loved and realized something. The love she had once held so openly for him was no longer there. It was like having your trousers vanish during a quidditch match. It surprised him, and he mourned the loss of something he had not allowed himself to have. And now it was too late._

_Unbidden the thought of Ginny with someone else came to mind. He pushed it away, she was Ginny; she still loved him. She had to, or who was he?_

"_Okay Ginny," he said quietly. He put his arm around her and felt her stiffen. Had he truly lost her?_

_

* * *

She limped into the holding cell alone. Her back was straight, each step small and calculated. She knew how far she could go. How hard she could push herself, and she hadn't met that ledge yet. Her chin up the dark circles from the lack of sleep and the loss of blood were apparent. She was ghostly and pale. She studied him. His hair was matted with blood. Cuts and bruises marred his face. His nose was slightly crooked from where it had obviously been broken. She clenched her jaw to keep from clucking over him as if she were his mother. Arms at her side she stopped a foot from him to keep from touching him. The dull ache in her chest felt as if it were being ripped open again._

_He studied her from guarded eyes. The silence was consuming and thick. Ginny thought she was choking on it. A fish out of water she was flailing. She hoped he didn't notice._

"_Why?"_

_He made a noise in his throat, guttural and angry. He was avoiding her gaze so she bent awkwardly to eye level._

"_They say you attacked me. Why didn't you tell them what really happened?"_

"_It doesn't matter," he said, voice hoarse; sandpaper grating flesh. She marched to the door and shouted for water. When there was no immediate response she raised herself to her full height and yelled, "Someone better bring me some bloody water! So help anyone in my way if I have to find it myself!"_

_The guard arrived then, a glass and a canteen in hand, his eyes averted he handed the objects over._

"_My apologies, Miss Weasley," and he backed out just as quickly as he had came._

_Draco laughed, "They're afraid of you."_

_Now it was her who made a sound in her throat._

"_They're afraid of Harry." Draco looked at her._

"_What the hell does Potter have to do with…ah, it took your impending death to make him realize that he wants you. Typical fucking Potter," he snapped, "And now you'll defeat the Dark Lord and have speccy little children together. All my best."_

"_They'll put you on trial. Feed you to what Dementors they have hanging around."_

"_I'll deserve it…I'll deserve it all. Just leave. FUCKING LEAVE!"_

_Ginny glared at him, "Just tell them the truth Draco."_

_He moved faster than she would have given him credit for. Pushing her against the door of the cell, he pinned her there._

_She could smell the blood on him, see how much they had hurt him while he was there. He kissed her hard and angry._

"_Tell them what, Ginny?" He demanded harshly, "That since this war started, all those fucking months ago you're the only thing I think about? The only thing I still feel. That when I close my eyes I can still see you, that I close my eyes all the time, just to see you one more time?" He gave her a grim smile, "They would feed me to the Dementors just for thinking of touching you. Don't you dare think they wouldn't!" The last part was whispered into her hair._

"_Time's up!" the call came from outside the solid metal door. Draco backed up until he tripped and landed sprawled over the bed. He watched as she shot him one last look. He thought he was seeing her for the last time. He memorized every line of her, the feel of her lips still against his. Picking up the glass of water he shattered it against the wall. That small bit of violence wasn't enough._

* * *

"What is this, _Draco_?" Ginny asked quietly. She made an odd hand gesture, twirled her fingers about. An impatient sound in his throat he shook his head.

"It's what it has always been, _Ginny, _it's us."

"Is this what we always were then? Miserable?"

"I was happy. I was happy with you," he said, "You were what I wanted. What I denied my family for. I wasn't Malfoy when I was with you."

"I guess that's just it then isn't it?" Ginny said sadly, holding back tears, "You could forget that you were Malfoy, but you never truly let go of the fact that I was Weasley."

"You were _my _Weasley," he said, "You were mine. And I thought I was yours."

Ginny was crying now.

"Then why did you fuck it up!" She wiped at the tears, angry now, "I didn't do this to us!"

"It wasn't what it was, Ginny." He was pleading with her, for the first time in his life begging her to understand. He reached for her and she pushed him away.

"Don't Draco."

"Ginny…"

"Leave it alone, Draco," Blaise said, stepping into the room, "Just leave it alone. Go get some rest Ginny. I'll wake you when the Order gets here."

After she had left Blaise put a hand on Draco's shoulder.

"We were never lovers."

"You never…"

"Please, you've seen her. Of course we did." Draco's fist came out of nowhere, though Blaise had been expecting it. He mopped at the blood pooling at the corner of his mouth.

"I said we were never lovers. We fucked once, a long time ago. After what happened with you two. She came to me crying. Said you fucked it all up. We got drunk, shit happens." Blaise jumped back as Draco lunged at him again.

"Stop it or I'll charm your hair pink."

Draco stopped to look at him, "What?"

"No that I have your attention," Blaise said, "Maybe it's time you tell me what happened."

* * *

"_I contest," her voice carried through the council as the gamut delivered the verdict. Her eyes never left the Minister's. Draco was shaking his head. 'Leave it be,' he was shouting at her in his head._

"_I second," Dumbledore called from the shadows of the court room._

"_You have something you would like to say, Albus?" the Minister called, ignoring Ginny._

"_I'll vouch for the boy. I want him immediately released. His possessions are to be returned."_

"_Didn't you vouch for one Severus Snape?" _

"_Of course I did, but I needed some one to betray me or my plans would have never gone right."_

"_Oh good," Draco said, "Does that mean I still get the option of denying you three times?"_

"_Silence boy! You have some sort of evidence that we should see?"_

"_Of course, but it is to be reviewed in private." The council voted before the court room was cleared. The evidence presented led to Draco's release. It was a combination of memories from Ginny, Blaise and surprisingly Dumbledore himself. The government warned him that they would keep a close eye on him. At the time he didn't think of what that meant. Later he found out that it would mean that his life, during the war, belonged to the Ministry. He was placed under Alastor Moody, who controlled all aspects of his life._

_Four months before the end of the war he placed a locket around Ginny's neck while she slept in his bed. He pulled her close and sunk his nose into the crook of her neck. He wouldn't let her see him this affectionate during the day, but at night she was his and he was hers. "Draco?" she yawned sleepily turning to face him. He kissed her before slipping into her. She smiled lazily at him as he rocked them together. When they were spent she nuzzled into him and fell back into a languid sleep. Her breath tickled his chest. That night he had to force himself to let her sleep. To not wake her again and take her higher and faster than the last time. He kissed her softly and fell asleep._

_In the morning she had insisted he take the locket back. It wouldn't budge when she tried to remove it._

"_There's something special in it," he said with his character smirk in place. Ginny spent the day trying to open it. _

"_Come on Draco," she said playfully, "How do I open it?" He laughed and refused to tell her how it worked._

_

* * *

Two months before the end of the war Draco received an assignment that involved an old classmate. He was to escort Pansy Parkinson. Her father had murdered her mother and she had more than happily agreed to help put him away._

_Drunk, Draco and Pansy had reminisced about the good ol' days when things were black and white in their world._

_Ginny had walked in to Pansy peeling Draco's leather trousers off with her teeth. The bedroom door had slammed behind her. The silence was final. Draco stumbled after her yelling for her to stop, to wait, to understand._

_Tears were falling, and they weren't just hers. She had yanked the necklace off as once again her heart shattered in her chest. She had punched him with the hand clutching the locket. Pansy had come running into the hall then and Ginny had tossed the trinket in her face. Pansy nearly lost her left eye to the conflict. Draco lost Ginny._

_Blaise was making chocolate pudding when Ginny had burst into his kitchen. _

"_He fucked it up Blaise!" she wept. Blaise could only assume that she meant Draco, as she never came to him with her family problems. She had grabbed the bottle of Fire Whiskey from the cabinet and stormed into his living area. Curling into a furious ball she chugged straight from the bottle. Blaise eyed her with fear and disgust. _

"_That's what glasses are for," and he poured them both a large shot as she recounted what happened. Most of the bottle of fire whiskey later Ginny climbed into Blaise lap._

"_Make him go away," she asked sadly and Blaise had readily agreed. He'd fancied himself in love with his friend from the first day she had approached him in the corridor at Hogwarts to ask if he knew how Draco was doing. He claimed what he knew he would never have again. He kissed the drunk girl with everything he had._

_In the morning they both knew it hadn't been enough and their friendship had grown._


	8. The District Sleeps Alone Tonight

So, I know I know. Over a year since I last updated. Its not that I lost my love for this story. I didn't abandon it. It sort of abandoned me. I'm hoping to change that, really and honestly. I miss the fandom. I hope this new chapter will be as good as the last. And lastly, I would like to thank Tarra for sticking with me, for madrose-who was incentive to write the last couple of chapters and lastly FrogsofChocolate because srsly. Made of Win.

* * *

_You seem so out of context  
In this gaudy apartment complex  
A stranger with your door key  
Explaining that I am just visiting  
And I am finally seeing  
Why I was the one worth leaving  
**The District Sleeps Alone Tonight-The Postal Service**_

* * *

Ginny awoke to Ron and Harry hovering above her in the guest room where she slept. She made an annoyed noise in the back of her throat and hit her brother with a pillow. Ron rolled his eyes at his sister and offered her a hand to stand. Apparently The Order had arrived.

"You okay Gin?" Ron asked as they made their way to the large dining room.

"I miss who we were," she whispered, too quiet for him to hear.

She sat next to Draco reflexively. When they were together she had always sat as his right hand. He shot her a surprised grin but didn't say anything. Maybe he thought he would jinx it. Whatever, it wasn't that big a deal. Or atleast that's what she told herself.

"You were given specific orders," the Minister began but Ginny cut him off.

"To lay low. And here I was, hidden in my house like a coward instead of the Auror I've become and they came looking for me. So, who were they, exactly?"

"Ted McAvery, Jonathon Lockland, Sean Kingsley and Don Weasley."

"This Don Weasley," Draco smirked, "Wouldn't happen to have red hair, would he?"

"Surprisingly," Harry laughed, "He wasn't related."

"This isn't a joke," Minerva shot Harry and Draco a withering glare over he spectacles.

"Take humor where you can find it," Ron muttered from the other side of Ginny. The girl tried hard not to laugh, thinking about her brother and the stories she heard about classes with McGonagall.

Harry looked over at Hermione, who had just arrived from her job at St. Mungoes, "How goes things at the infirmary?"

"You talk about the hospital like we're still in school," Hermione rolled her eyes, "The Longbottoms are responding well to their treatments. They recognize many family members and have partial return of their memories. Unfortunately, they tend to get confused when they see Neville, as he was just a child when the incident happened. Seeing him causes them distress, which makes them relapse, and then we have to start the whole process all over again. Neville's visitation rights have been revoked for the moment."

"Hermione!" Ginny gasped, hand to her mouth, but Hermione just shrugged.

"So what you're really saying," Draco paraphrased, "Is that the hospital is making sad little boys like Neville cry? Is that why he's not here at the meeting. He's too busy being-what do the muggles call it? Emo?"

Hermione heaved a great sigh, like she was talking to idiots and folded her arms, "Should we send some one to check up on him, then?" Draco continued, "After all, it would be horrible if he tried to off himself. He'd probably forget what he was doing and resort to squeezing that Rememberall of his for help."

Ginny smacked Draco upside his head for the remark. He rubbed the spot and eyed her meanly.

"Its a wonder we won the war at all," the minister huffed, folding his arms, "You lot are way to personal to ever get anything done."

"Piss off!" Ron said.

"We?" Harry said, "If I remember correctly you were too busy hiding in Cananda to fight in the war. Wait, how the hell did you get elected Minister?"

The minister's mouth fell open, "Now that, Mr. Potter, is not the subject of the meeting. Miss Weasley, and the increased Death Eater activity are our true concerns."

Harry glared from where he was sitting. He seriously disliked the Minister. The rest of the meeting went slightly better, with them actually getting down to business. It was agreed that Ginny and Draco would work together (as Draco was now her body guard) while Harry and Ron studied the Death Eater's recent activity. Hermione was to return to St. Mugoes and await further instruction. She would be in charge of clean up if it came to it.

The Order left with a pop and it was Ginny and Draco once again. An awkward silence and Draco was bowing out of the room and searching for a bottle of Firewhisky. Ginny found the kitchens and sent the House Elves scurrying when she insisted on baking muffins. Big golden blueberry muffins that she had no intention of actually eating.

The elves ran about her feet, trying to clean as she went. She finally threatened to set them free if they didn't leave her alone. This scared the more ancient of the creatures and the younger ones followed suit and Ginny was finally left alone in the kitchen with the silence she was craving.  
She missed her apartment and her chicory coffee. And she missed Draco.

_"Draco?" Ginny breathed happily. He was scruffy, hair plastered to his forehead, dirt caked everywhere. But he was free of Azkaban. Free of the ministry and the charges. He was free of his father and Voldemort.  
And he was Ginny's._

_She hugged him as hard as she could, swearing to herself that she wasn't EVER letting go._


End file.
